‘The president of employment tribunals in England and Wales, Judge Brian Doyle, has issued a case management order staying claims brought on the basis of the Supreme Court’s ruling last month that the current fees regime is unlawful.’

‘A Christian magistrate who lost his job and then his role as an NHS director for speaking out against adoption by same-sex parents will this week sue NHS bosses claiming political correctness can prevent Christians holding public posts.’

‘In R(on the application of UNISON) v Lord Chancellor [2017] UKSC 51, the Supreme Court gave an important judgment regarding the importance of access of justice. The Supreme Court held that the fees imposed by the Lord Chancellor in employment tribunal and employment appeal tribunal cases were unlawful.’

‘On Wednesday the UK Supreme Court ruled court fees for claims before employment tribunals, introduced by the coalition government in 2013, to be illegal. Christina Lienen argues that this judgement is likely to join the ranks of landmark constitutional decisions, given its characterisation of the UK constitution as founded in common law and therefore in the hands of judges rather than politicians.’

‘The Supreme Court has ruled that workplace tribunal fees are unlawful, forcing the Government to repay more than £27m paid by employees for cases around unfair dismal, discrimination and other workplace issues since July 2013.’

‘Government officials should look at reducing the cost of employment tribunal fees, according to Matthew Taylor, who today publishes a long-awaited review into employment rights of workers in the gig economy.’

‘Nicholas Siddall analyses the recent judgment of the EAT in Swissport v Exley & Ors [2017] UKEAT/007/16 (Slade J) in which he successfully appeared and the interesting observations therein made by the EAT as to the correct approach to assessing costs in the Employment Tribunal.’

‘The David Hare screenplay for the recent film Denial contains the following advice to the client: ‘stay seated, button your lip, and win.’ This article seeks to plot a path for advocates to winning in large scale discrimination claims in the employment tribunal, based on the writer’s long experience of the ET and, more recently, briefs to act for the respondents in two high stakes cases, AB -v- A Chief Constable[i] and Aubrey -v- The Chief Constable of Northumbria Police[ii]. The suggested lessons apply to all types of large-scale claim in the ET.’

‘The David Hare screenplay for the recent film Denial contains the following advice to the client: “stay seated, button your lip, and win.” This article seeks to plot a path for advocates to winning in large scale discrimination claims in the employment tribunal, based on the writer’s long experience of the ET and, more recently, briefs to act for the respondents in two high stakes cases, AB -v- A Chief Constable[i] and Aubrey -v- The Chief Constable of Northumbria Police[ii]. The suggested lessons apply to all types of large-scale claim in the ET.’

‘Government-backed inspectors should be able to investigate companies and entire industries to prevent unscrupulous companies falsely labelling workers as self-employed, according to a leading legal body.’

‘The three appeals to the Employment Appeal Tribunal in cases including Focus Care Agency Ltd v Roberts, UKEAT/0143/16/DM, consider the proper approach to the question whether employees who “sleep-in” in order to carry out duties if required engage in “time-work” for the full duration of the night shift, or whether they are entitled to the National Minimum Wage, under the National Minimum Wage Act 1998 and the National Minimum Wage Regulations 1999 and 2015, only when they are awake and carrying out relevant duties.’

‘Nicholas Siddall considers the recent decision of the EAT in Zebrowski-v-Concentric Birmingham Ltd [2017] UKEAT/0245/16/DA and analyses the guidance there to be found as regards the proper approach to a Polkey deduction.’

‘The Court of Appeal has reversed the decision of the Employment Appeal Tribunal which had decided that a junior doctor’s contention that he was “a worker” in relation to Health Education England should be struck out as having no reasonable prospect of success. The decision is of importance not only to junior doctors but also more generally. Martin Fodder and Jeremy Lewis, two of the authors of Whistleblowing, Law and Practice, 3rd Edition, OUP, 2017 of Littleton, consider the judgment. David Reade QC and Nicholas Siddall (both also of Littleton) appeared in the case representing Health Education England.’

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